Car-fender



(No Model.) 2 Sheefs-Sheet 1. W. H. LEAVITT.

GAR FENDER. No. 554,888. 8 Patented Feb; 18, 1896.

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(No Model.)

' I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. H. LEAVITT. j GAR FENDER. No. 554,883. v Patented Feb. 18, 1896.

ANDREW BYGRMAM. PMTO-LWMQWASNIN GTOPLD D UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM I-I. LEAVITT, OF HINGI-IAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,883, dated February 18, 1896.

Application filed JanuarylB, 1895 Serial No. 535,081. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM H. LEAVITT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Hingham, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Fenders or Guards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to 'make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in car fenders or guards, and has for its object to more effectually prevent injury and loss of life by cars running over persons.

The invention is designed to be used on electric, steam, cable, or other cars which arepropelled by other means than by horses; and it consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts which constitute the fender, as will be fully described hereinafter and set forth in the claims.

The invention is carried out substantially in a manner as shown on the accompanying drawings, which constitutean essential part of this specification, and whereon Figure 1 represents a plan view, partly in section, of the end of a car provided with my improved fender or guard. Fig. 2 represents a bottom view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of the end of a car provided with my improved fender, the steps to the car being removed. Fig. 4: represents a longitudinal section of the same, and Fig. 5 represents a front elevation of the fender applied to a car.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

A represents the body, B the platform, 0 O the steps, D-the dasher, and E E the wheels of a car of any of the common constructions now in use.

To brackets a a on the under side of the end of the car is pivotally attached the hangers b b in such a manner that they will have a forward and backward movement, being limited in such movements by means of stops 1) b on the hanger which come in contact with said brackets or with some other portion of the car. To the lower ends of the hangers is pivotally attached the fender -platform, which is preferably made in two sections 0 and c, hinged together at 0 This platform projects from the car beyond the platform of the car and substantially in a horizontal plane, but preferably slightly inclined, as shown, so that the extreme outer edge of the section 0 will move just above the tracks, leaving room enough between the outer end of the section and the track for any small object to pass under it without coming into contact with it.

A yielding cushion d, preferably made of rubber, is attached to a bar 01, which extends across the outer edge of the section 0. The bar d is provided with two or more rods 01 which are loosely guided within tubular or other bearings (1 d pivotally attached at d d to the side of the frame of the section 0 in such a manner as to allow the cushion d and bar d to be turned upward on the pivots d 61 when desired. A spring 61 is placed within each tubular bearing 01 the tendency of said spring being to press the bar d with its attached cushion outward with a yielding pressure, so that when said cushion comes into contact with any object on the track it will not only yield itself, but will cause the bar to which it is attached to yield and thus break the blow given to such object. The cushion is prevented from dropping too low, and consequently from resting on the track, by means of stops d d attached to or made in one piece with the side frames of the section 0 of the fender-platform.

The section 0 of the fender-platform may be provided on either side with suitable wings 0 0 which tend to hold any object upon the section 0 after it has landed there.

The fender-platform is made of a suitable framework and covered with netting 0 made of wire, rope, or other suitable material, which netting will yield and ease the fall of any object which may be thrown or tumble upon the fender by the cushion coming in contact with such object or in any other manner. The netting c is provided with a suitable door 0 for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The outer end of the section 0 is provided on its under side with a series of rolls 0 c, which will come in contact with the ground if the outer end of the section is depressed by a weight upon it or from other cause.

These rolls coming in contact with the ground before any other part of the fender will prevent the liability of breakage to the fender.

An auxiliary or supplemental fender or guard e is pivotally attached at e to the inner end of the section 0 of the fender-platform, which fender extends across the tracks, also downward and forward, so that its lower edge will clear the track or any slight projection 011 the track. This fender is limited in its extreme lower position by means of a projection or ledge e on the fender coming into contact with the end of the side frames of the section 0. \Vhen not desired to be used, the fender 6 may be raised to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and held in such position by means of the chain c or other fastening device. The combined weight of the fender c and the part of the section 0, which is inside its connection to the hanger b, is such that it will slightly overbalance the combined weight of the section c and the remainingipart of the section 0. Consequently it will tend to raise the outer end of the section 0. This movement of the section 0' is limited by means of'a chain f attached to the inner end of the section c and the under side of the body of the car.

At or near the inner end of the section 0 of the fender-platform are secured two levers g g by means of the links g 9, one of said levers being secured to each side of the section 0 and projecting outward just beyond the line of the platform of the car, where they are pivotally attached to the lower end of the vertical portion h of the fender, which portion extends upward outside of and substantially parallel to the dasher of the ear. The upper edge of the portion h of the fender is provided with the rubber or other yielding roll h, forming a cushion for objects coming in contact with the fender at this place. The portion his made in the form of a frame and covered with a netting h similar to that which covers the platform portion of the fender and for a similar purpose. The levers g g hear at 9 against the upper surface of the section 0 and are guided within guides 11 b on the hangers b b. The connection of the levers g g to the section 0 by means of the links 9 g allows the levers with the portion h of the fender attached thereto to be moved slightly inward when any object strikes the portion 71'. Springs 7L3 7&3 are placed between the portion h and the dasher of the car to cushion a blow against the portion 7L. The portion 7b is prevented from swinging outward and downward 011 its pivotal connection to the levers g g by means of suitable stops 7L4 h on said portion, which engage the levers g g and thereby limit the outward movement of the portion 7L.

The section 0' is so arranged that it maybe turned upward 011 the hinged or pivotal connection 0 so as to assume a substantially vertical position outside of and substantially parallel to the portion h, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, it being held in such a position by means of the hook i on the portion h and the eyes i on the section 0, (shown in Fig. 3,) or it may be held up in any other and desired manner.

The portion his provided with a removable door 7L5, which, in connection with the removable door on the section a mentioned above, will allow two cars to be connected together by their draw-bars,when desired. These doors may be constructed so as to be entirely removed from the fender, or they may be hinged thereto and provided with suitable catches, as is thought to be the more practical.

It will be seen that each part of my improved fender is yieldingly connected to some other part thereof, and therefore any object coming in contact with any part of the fender will not receive a rigid blow, but will be cushioned; also, the entire fender being pivotally attached to the swinging hangers will further prevent any tendency to rigidity.

It will be obvious to any one skilled in the art to which this invention appertains that I am not confined to the exact construction of the several parts of the invention, as shown, as slight variation within the scope of mechanical skill may be made, and any desired parts which are thought to be superfluous may be dispensed with without departing from my invention.

The operation of my improved fender is as follows: \Vhen in their normal position, the various parts are in substantially the relative positions shown in Fig. 3. The outer end of the section a of the fender-platform is slightly raised above the track, and the lower end of the auxiliary fender c is also slightly raised above the track, but preferably nearer to the track than is the end of the section 0', as shown. The portion h is slightly thrown outward by the action of the springs h, and the cushion d is forced as far outward as possible by its springs If the car is in motion and any object is on the track, the first thing to strike such object will be the cushion (Z, which, if the object is very small, will both yield and lift so as to allow the object to pass under to be taken up by the fender e; but if the object is larger the cushion by its yielding nature will break the force of the blow and land the object 011 the netting on the section a of the fender-platform, which will also tend to further break the force of its fall. If the object lands upon or near the inner end of the section 0, it will cause said section to be depressed until the rolls 0 011 the outer end come in contact with the track. The inner end of the section 0 will also be depressed, which will cause the section 0 to turn upon its pivoted connection on the hangers b. If the objeet is thrown far enough to come in contact with the netting 7L2 on the portion 71., the force of the blow will be cushioned by the springs 7L3 and the action of the links 9. Thus it will be seen that no matter where the object comes into contact with the fender it will meet with a yielding cushion to break the force of its fall, and if the object be a person this will effectually prevent any danger of breaking bones or killing the person.

Having thus fully describedthe nature, construction, and operation of my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim 1. In a car fender or guard, hangers pivotally attached to the bottom of the car, having a swinging movement lengthwise of the car, a fender-platform pivotally attached to the hangers and extending outward beyond the car, and stop projections on said hangers to limit their swinging movements, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car fender or guard,hangers attached to the under side of the car, a fender-platform pivotally attached to said hangers, and extending outward beyond the car, levers pivotally attached to the fender-platform inside its connection to the hangers and extending outward beyond the car and a vertical portion of the fender attached to the outer ends of said levers and extending upward outside of the dasher of the car for the purpose set forth.

3. In a car fender or guard,hangers attached to the under side of the car, a fender-platform pivotally attached to said hangers, and extending outward beyond the car, levers pivotally attached to the fender-platform inside its connection to the hangers and extending outward beyond the car, a vertical portion of the fender pivotally attached to the outer ends of said levers and extending upward outside of the dasher of the car, and springs interposed between the vertical portion of the fender and the dasher, for the purpose set forth.

4:- In a car fender or guard, a fender-platform extending outward beyond the car, hinged so as to be turned upward outside of the dasher, a vertical portion outside of the dasher, and removable doors in the fenderplatform and vertical portion to be removed to allow two cars to be attached together by a draw-bar, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a car fender or guard, a fender-platform composed of the inner part c and the outer part c, hangers b b pivotally attached to the car-body and to the inner portion of the fender-platform, to allow the fender to move backward when coming in contact with anything on the track, the yielding cushion cl extending across the front of the fender-platform, and the yielding frame 01, d d on which said cushion is mounted, said frame being pivoted to the fender, all combined for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. LEAVITT.

Witnesses:

HENRY CHADBOURN, OHARLns W. J ONES. 

